Major... Science??

[Hilaree320]

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Ok this is a question for all the current dental students.. I am currently contemplating my college major, so I was wondering... To those who had a non-science major in college, do you wish you could go back and do a Bio or other science major to be more familiar with all the science you have to study now??? Or not???

Thanks.

 

[12YearOldKid]

Ok this is a question for all the current dental students.. I am currently contemplating my college major, so I was wondering... To those who had a non-science major in college, do you wish you could go back and do a Bio or other science major to be more familiar with all the science you have to study now??? Or not???

Thanks.

I was just thinking the other day that I wish I hadn't spent my college years studying just science. I would have picked a music or art major --- something that you will enjoy the rest of your life. The science pre-reqs are enough of a foundation for most people. If you are kinda slow to pick things up (and that's OK 😀 ) then I would do pure science -- otherwise just pick whatever's going to be the funnest.

 

[lionelhutz]

Its really important to pick something that you wil enjoy learning about and can get good grades in. Your major will not matter much in dental school. I chose Mol. bio not because it was a science major, but it was something that I really like and find fascinating.

 

[ItsGavinC]

I was an English major, and I don't have any regrets about it. There isn't much science in dental school (just the basic sciences), and your prereq courses can give you a fine background to do well.

 

[zdaddy08]

Ok this is a question for all the current dental students.. I am currently contemplating my college major, so I was wondering... To those who had a non-science major in college, do you wish you could go back and do a Bio or other science major to be more familiar with all the science you have to study now??? Or not???

Thanks.

You'll get plenty of science shoved down your throat in dental school 😱 ...major in something interesting that you will enjoy...beer brewing or underwater photography...

 

[Hilaree320]

You'll get plenty of science shoved down your throat in dental school 😱 ...major in something interesting that you will enjoy...beer brewing or underwater photography...

Actually this is what I'm trying to figure out... If you major in something "easy", won't it be that much harder to adjust to having to take sooo many science classes at once??

 

[lnn2]

Actually this is what I'm trying to figure out... If you major in something "easy", won't it be that much harder to adjust to having to take sooo many science classes at once??

NO, you can always drop out!
Dental school's basic science requirement covers it. You can take Human anatomy/physio, biochem, Micro, histology before dental school and your bases are covered. The main thing is keeping overall and BCP GPA high. Your major doesn't really matter.

 

[zdaddy08]

NO, you can always drop out!
Dental school's basic science requirement covers it. You can take Human anatomy/physio, biochem, Micro, histology before dental school and your bases are covered. The main thing is keeping overall and BCP GPA high. Your major doesn't really matter.

what he said...he seems like a pretty smart mofo... 😀

 

[toofache32]

I never understood why people want to major in biology twice. They teach you everything you need to know in dental school about the sciences. My college degree was in classical guitar performance, and the admissions people seemed to really get a kick out of it on my interviews. That's all they asked me about.

Some people believe that a strong science background helps you, but my classmates who majored in microbiology, etc. said differently. Halfway through the first semester, we had already covered everything they were exposed to in college, and after that the playing field was even. I majored in music and still did well enough in dental school to specialize, get boards in the 90s, and graduate in the top 10%. And I'm not that smart...I'm just a hard worker. Hard work gets you much farther (?further?) in dental school than being smart, in my opinion.

 

[lnn2]

I never understood why people want to major in biology twice. They teach you everything you need to know in dental school about the sciences. My college degree was in classical guitar performance, and the admissions people seemed to really get a kick out of it on my interviews. That's all they asked me about.

Some people believe that a strong science background helps you, but my classmates who majored in microbiology, etc. said differently. Halfway through the first semester, we had already covered everything they were exposed to in college, and after that the playing field was even. I majored in music and still did well enough in dental school to specialize, get boards in the 90s, and graduate in the top 10%. And I'm not that smart...I'm just a hard worker. Hard work gets you much farther (?further?) in dental school than being smart, in my opinion.

I also play classical guitar but I can't seem to let my finger nails to grow long enough!
Having some science background will help, especially in the Anatomic science section. Everything is taught at a fast pace in dental school so having exposed to something before (such as Human anatomy...)will work to your advantage. I agree that dental school is all about hard work. Hard work gets you much further. You'll get what you're putting in.
btw, I believe it's further in this case, farther is referring to distance only.

 

[12YearOldKid]

I never understood why people want to major in biology twice. They teach you everything you need to know in dental school about the sciences. My college degree was in classical guitar performance, and the admissions people seemed to really get a kick out of it on my interviews. That's all they asked me about.

Some people believe that a strong science background helps you, but my classmates who majored in microbiology, etc. said differently. Halfway through the first semester, we had already covered everything they were exposed to in college, and after that the playing field was even. I majored in music and still did well enough in dental school to specialize, get boards in the 90s, and graduate in the top 10%. And I'm not that smart...I'm just a hard worker. Hard work gets you much farther (?further?) in dental school than being smart, in my opinion.

I'll agree with this. One of the hardest classes I took in college was an advanced cell bio course; we covered that entire semester in the first 4 weeks of dental school... only in more detail. 😱 There is a small advantage to being a bio major, but I wouldn't spend what should be 4 of the best years of your life in misery just to gain that miniscule edge.

BTW, I think farther is used in cases where you are comparing distances that can be discretely measured; further is used when the comparison is abstract or unmeasurable. Sort of like the difference between fewer and less -- not that anybody cares. 😀

 

[12YearOldKid]

I also play classical guitar but I can't seem to let my finger nails to grow long enough!

Hey, cool. I'm a classical guitar wannabe too. I've had long fingernails on my right hand as long as I can remember. I almost pursued that instead of dentistry but after some serious introspection I realized I would never be good enough to make a living at it and would probably end up teaching high school music. AHHHHHHH!!!! But this dentistry thing seems to be working out alright.

 

[ItsGavinC]

I never understood why people want to major in biology twice. They teach you everything you need to know in dental school about the sciences. My college degree was in classical guitar performance, and the admissions people seemed to really get a kick out of it on my interviews. That's all they asked me about.

Some people believe that a strong science background helps you, but my classmates who majored in microbiology, etc. said differently. Halfway through the first semester, we had already covered everything they were exposed to in college, and after that the playing field was even. I majored in music and still did well enough in dental school to specialize, get boards in the 90s, and graduate in the top 10%. And I'm not that smart...I'm just a hard worker. Hard work gets you much farther (?further?) in dental school than being smart, in my opinion.

That's a great post--very true. Smarts don't matter *as much* because dental school material just isn't difficult. There isn't anything hard about it. It's just an annoyance because of the volume.

 

[onetoothleft]

yeah, I wish I hadn't majored in science either actually . . . or at least something that could be a more viable backup like Computer science, nursing, or dental hygeine or something. I wish someone would have told me that earlier 🙂

 

[organichemistry]

hilary ~

ok... i'm not in dental school (just a student at good ol' Auburn) but from
talking to a LOT of dentists and dental students who have done both science and non-science majors, i will say this.

the degree itself doesn't really matter. however, your foundation certainly does. although you do theoretically do have a firm foundation if you get through all the prerequisites with good grades, almost everyone has said that undergrad courses in Biochemistry, Cell or Molecular Biology, Histology, and Anatamy or Physiology (or both) would be very beneficial and get you ahead of the curve (or at least on pace with the rest of your dental class!).

the thing is, if you take all those classes, you have just about gotten your science degree.

but really, i don't think it matters what you do. you probably have time to take a few electives in college so just decide between one of these:

- a science major taking all those courses i listed above and more and have a fantastic science background for dental school. then, when electives come up, be sure to NOT take science classes but take other classes you might be interested in, whether it be tennis, psychology, culinary skills, economics, whatever!

or

- a non-science major in a field you are really, really interested in. then, whenever you have free electives, pick up an upper level science class. you will probably have time to take 2-3 of those above classes so you still should be very well prepared for dental school.

i'd say you are good either path you choose. the only addendum i'll make is that if you feel like you are borderline and may not get in to dental school after a couple tries, i would lean towards the second option; that way, if dentistry doesn't work out for you, you can do something other than working in a biology lab or teaching high school chemistry.

i know i probably just gave you more questions than answers but it is the best i could do.

by the way, i was sitting next to you at the AED meeting tonight. didn't know it was you until i got the attendance sheet. thanks for letting me borrow your pencil 👍 👍 👍